Historical Art Gallery Near Toronto - The McMichael Gallery

Her name was familiar to me as an author rather than as an artist - we had to study her writing in high school. So it was interesting to discover that she was a kind of "honorary member" of the Group of Seven. Not formally part of their group, they supported her artistic endeavors.

Having spent time with the First Nations peoples in British Columbia and with the American Indians, many of her paintings drew on symbols from native culture and her experiences with these peoples.

She had engaged in many different occupations, from breeding dogs and boarding horses to pottery before she was able to support herself with her art. The guide in McMichael Gallery suggested to us that her work was somewhat controversial as her use of symbols from the native Americans and Canadians was not always appreciated by them.

Born to a wealthy family, Harris was able to focus on his art throughout his life. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Group of Seven and the Group of Canadian Artists that followed it.

Our guide at the gallery explained that he was a believer in theosophy (attempting to understand the hidden meaning and connections among the physical, they human and the divine), and he expressed his beliefs in his paintings. For example, for a period of his life, his work relied heavily on yellows (reflecting intelligence) and blues (reflecting spirituality). Also, there were no sharp corners in his images.

Together with Harris, MacDonald was instrumental in setting up the Group of Seven. He served as a mentor for many of Canada's developing artists of his time, helping them find their own "voice" in their work. A poet, he was greatly influenced by Walt Witman and Thoreau, to the extent of naming his son, Thoreau.

He believed that art should reflect the character and spirit of the country in which it is created, teaching at the Ontario College of Art and traveling north to draw and paint during the summer vacations.

Upon his death, the Group of Seven fell apart.

Born in England, Lismer began working at a photo-engraving shop at age 13, studying art in the evenings. He later studied in Belgium and moved to Canada at age 26. It seems that he was the one who gave the Group of Seven its name.

Our guide at the gallery told us that Lismer was more family oriented than his colleagues and took his wife and daughter with him on at least one painting trip. His wife modeled for one of his pieces.

Interestingly, he set up children's arts programs in Canada and South Africa, in addition to his duties as vice-principle of the Ontario College of Art.

Born in England, 31-year-old married Varley was persuaded by Lismer to move to Canada. He quickly became part of the developing Group of Seven. During WW I, like, Jackson, he was sent overseas to use his talent to document the war, an experience that changed him deeply.

Some of his works, either by use of color or by their emotional quality, expressed the horrors of war. A move to British Columbia helped moderate the impact of the war and his painting style changed. However, his wife left him and he fell into alcoholism for many years.

Overcoming these set-backs, he returned to his painting and traveling until his death.

Jackson's father left the family destitute and his job at a lithography firm aroused his interest in art. He subsequently studied art in Europe and the United States. He was disenchanted with the Canadian art scene until he was invited to join MacDonald and Harris as they were developing their group of artists who could cross-fertilize each other.

He spent most of his life traveling and teaching in various places in Canada and Europe. Remarkably, he received honorary doctorates from 4 Canadian universities.